DDOU - a look to the future

[chrichton]

A lot of the responses so far (both good and bad and conflicting) have seemed to look at how this game will react to the changes later this Summer and early Fall - in the short term.

For this thread, I ask - how do you see this F2P/Sub hybrid panning out in the long term? What will microtransactions do to this game?

Here are some things I predict (from my cracked and murky crystal ball):

- microtransactions WILL mean you will not FEEL capped and powerful unless you pay $$ - even if you are a VIP. Let's face it - this is a loot-based MMO and a majority of the game population wants gear over XP, progression, and submersion. It will be just too much of a temptation to press the easy button (for ingredients, XP boost, convenience items ( I imagine run speed boosts, portable vendors, portable buffers (ala House buffs), etc) ).

- The time will come that you see someone use/have something that they bought and you will want it too. I am very opposed to microtransactions, but I admit I caved in City Of Heroes and bought a couple of packs that had very cool costumes pieces added and convenience, like a teleporter to the quest door (on long recharge).

- I have seen others point out that the low level areas may become intolerable tween-infested, idiot circuses. I do predict that the Harbor and Marketplace will see a rather significant increase in "annoying behavior". I can only hope that there is eventually some way of avoiding that for those that dislike tween angst, other than soloing, which, depending on build/gear, can be a slog.

- However, I also predict that this move will make big bucks, and so it will stay and will be an example for other games (shudder). Western MMO developers know that microtransactions are not popular with 'the west', but see how they snuck it in here? Very clever - give the guy who thought this up a raise. And now - a moment of silence for the passing of the subscription model . . .

Any other long-term predictions out there?

[chrichton]

(inappropriate self-bump)

c'mon, people. What do you think the RMT model will do to this game in the long run? I'd like to hear more opinions than the ones bumping into each other in my head.

[Hafeal]

I see a growing divide between the haves and have-nots. For Casual gamers in particular, it will be DDO's test to see if it can remain relatively friendly to PUGs ...

I predict it will not be able to and that is why the devs have undertaken serious steps to make solo and 2-3 man play the chief viable way to play for the casual gamer.

[The_Rev09]

Remember that we are an instanced MMO... When there's more than one marketplace instance, do you notice it when you play? I don't, I usually have to look up at the map to tell. That being said, we may just end up with 10-15 instances of the marketplace, and if you don't like where you're at, hit the dropdown and select another. It's never "crowded" in any sense, IMHO...

[BlueBadger]

the entirety of the long term of the game , will rest, solely on the cost of the previous content cost to unlock permanently... and if it's unlockable to free players, without paying, just by playing..

as it stands right now, you need a credit card and to pay to play... end game, everyone is expected to have a decent amount of time with the game and to be able to play, at least to a certain level


if the previous mods (like desert, gianthold and others... ) are unlockable without having to ever pull out any money... that would be bad... and I don' t think this will happen because then a whole lot of dedicated very young players will enter the game, make it a mess, all without contributing $ to Turbine... so it' s not the kind of thing Turbine wants either...

on the other hand... if all the existing content is too expensive and a person can't go from VIP to having full access to all existing content with 2 active characters or whatever the limited free form will be, without first paying some huge upfront fee, what you'll end up with is a scattered playerbase where many players can' t play with many other players and it becomes a nightmare to support, group, and will just bring down the game.


so what it comes down to is how many adventure packs will there be available, how much will it be needed/recommended to have these, and finally what will they cost (individually, and as a lump sum purchase)


Honestly, if they made all existing content purchaseable for 100$, then you could play it for life with your two active characters that you choose, would you? Probably not worth it for those who are all at cap... but for someone just starting out... maybe...

If I'm an existing player with most of my characters at cap... would I be able to spend my 500 Turbine points a month until I've unlocked all the existing content... a few character slots and whatever else I want and then just pay as I go for new content, as it gets released, if it' s something in the level range that I want to pay and play?

[DelScorcho]

This means that when the devils invade, I will reach not for my Min II Khopeshes, but for my platnum Am Ex card!

[Fetchi]

this Means That When The Devils Invade, I Will Reach Not For My Min Ii Khopeshes, But For My Platnum Am Ex Card!

lol!:)